Humor in Young Adult Literature: A Time to LaughScarecrow Press, 2005 - 223 pages Celebrates the accomplishments of YA authors acclaimed for producing high-quality comedies, who have not yet been treated in a book-length bio-critical study. Simultaneously, it reminds readers that no matter how funny an author of fiction may be, if he shows off his wit in ways that fail to play a natural role in advancing his narrative, he is not writing good fiction. To demonstrate this, humorous passages are presented to illustrate the contribution a sense of humor can make to a work of fiction. The book is arranged topically to facilitate a comparison of distinctive treatments by various authors of adolescent life events, such as sibling rivalry, bullies, and first dates. |
Contents
Family | 1 |
Friends | 23 |
Bullies | 51 |
Authorities and Adversaries | 67 |
Whats Wrong with Me? | 95 |
Could This Be Love? | 119 |
The Ironic Perspective | 147 |
Coming of Age Who Am I and What Am I Going to Do about It? | 179 |
205 | |
215 | |
About the Author | |
Common terms and phrases
adolescent Adrian Mole Alice Amazing Maurice Angus asks authors behavior Billy Boy Meets Boy boyfriend brother bully characters Chris Lynch classmate comedy comic Count Olaf Daniel Pinkwater Dark Lord Delacorte Diana Wynne Jones Discworld Ducks eccentric Education of Robert Elizabeth Extreme Elvin fairy fantasy Farrar father fiction finds Frankie friendships funny genre Georgia Nicolson Goose Gordon Korman Griffin hair HarperCollins Harry Potter high school humorous YA literature Iris Jenna Joan Bauer Joey Kevin Koertge's laugh live look M. T. Anderson mother Myrtle narrator never pair parents parodies Patty Campbell Phyllis Reynolds protagonist Pure Dead quirky Rats readers Robert Nifkin romantic Ron Koertge satirical scene short story situation Snicket Straus & Giroux teacher teen teenage tells Terry Pratchett theme things Tiffany tion Ugly Girl Vince Wee Free Men YA literature York Young Adult Literature Young Adult Novel